I'm Sorry
by ShadowPenguin5
Summary: After The Winter Soldier. Steve asks Natasha about her necklace and she finds out something that will change her life irrevocably. One shot.


I'm Sorry

The last time he saw her was at the fake graveside of one of their friends. Fury was "dead" and no one could know any different. In all honesty, Steve wasn't entirely sure why they needed all of the secrecy but then again, he wasn't trained to be a spy. He was a soldier.

She walked away from him and he had one last question to ask her. He'd noticed it at Sam's house but he hadn't wanted to mention it at the time; it had seemed mildly inadequate next to the threat of them dying.

"What's with the necklace?"

She turned to face him; her confusion showing in the face.

"I just figure, spies wouldn't do anything that might give away their secret identities."

She smiled. "Cap, something's are more important than that."

"Like what?"

Her face softened and she left.

Sam turned to him. "What was that about?"

Steve stared after her. "I think the Black Widow's all grown up." Sam looked at him weirdly. "I've got a feeling she's fallen in love."

"Well, that's damn scary." Sam chuckled. "But I do _not _feel sorry for the guy. She's got to be pretty..."

"Sam." Steve looked down at the grave of his very much alive friend. "This is not the place."

xxx

The hand scanner on the wall recognised her prints and the door swung open inwards to reveal a very relieved Clint. "I saw what happened on the news; are you Ok?" He enveloped her in a hug. She would normally push away from such a physical form of affection, but today she felt that she needed it.

Natasha let him hold her for thirty more seconds and then pulled away from the embrace. "Where the hell were you?" She practically yelled at his face.

Clint took a step back. "I'm sorry Natasha. I was stuck clearing up in Saudi Arabia. I..."

She punched him, not too gently, in the arm. "For God's sake, I thought you were HYDRA."

Clint winced. "Nat, that's the thing. I talked to Fury a couple of weeks ago-"

"Fury's dead, you don't have to follow his orders now."

Clint gave her a look that said 'don't be an idiot'. "Fury's not dead, Nat, I know that you know that: you can't hide anything from me anymore." He took her hands in his. "I have to tell you something Natasha and you have to promise not to judge me before you hear all that I have to say."

"I promise." She replied immediately.

"I talked to Fury a couple of weeks ago and he told me that he thought something big was going to happen. He said to stay in contact and watch for signs. Just after his car was attacked by the Winter Soldier he called me - said he was going to talk to Cap and I should be wary about everything and everyone. That SHIELD was not to be trusted."

"It's not. SHIELD has been labelled a terrorist organisation."

He nodded. "Yesterday he called me from his underground bunker. Told me that..." Clint took a deep breath. "He said I should join HYDRA and give him information from the other side."

Natasha flinched away from him and pulled her hands away from his. "You said no, right?"

Clint met her eyes and she knew the answer before he said it. "I'm so sorry Natasha."

She turned away from him and placed one hand on her chest. "I can't believe this. It's outrageous. You're an Avenger; you can't be on HYDRA's side."

"That's why I have to go, Nat. If they found out I knew where you were I would have to kill you."

She was not going to let herself cry. "Clint." Her voice cracked and she couldn't continue.

He put his arms around her from behind. "At least you've got something to remind you of me." He touched the tiny arrow that hung around her neck. "I can't take anything like that where I'm going."

She turned in his arms and buried her face in his shirt. "Am I ever going to see you again?"

Clint let go of her and walked slowly towards the door. "I hope not, for both of our sakes."

He left and she let a single tear escape her eye before pulling on her emotionless mask and showing no emotion.

She was not going to become a person who was defined by the people who she loved. She had always been independent and alone and she could be once more.

**I hope you enjoy reading what I wanted to happen at the end of Cap 2. I am still writing the sequel to my first story Shadows, I haven't forgotten it, but it may still be a while. There is a sequel to this story on Black Widow and Hawkeye OTP's account so check that out.**

**Please review.**


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